Paul Wendler, former Saginaw mayor, played an instrumental role in bringing hockey to the region

View full sizePaul H. Wendler in 1973. Wendler served on the Saginaw City Council from 1959 until 1973, including as mayor for the last two years.Castle Museum of Saginaw County Saginaw News Archives

SAGINAW, MI — Paul H. Wendler, former mayor of Saginaw and a key figure in bringing hockey to Saginaw, died Wednesday, March 13, at the age of 96.

Wendler, who served on the Saginaw City Council for more than 14 years and as mayor from 1971-73, was a “true gentleman” who had “tremendous pride” in his community, said Saginaw Spirit owner Dick Garber.

“I would call him the father of hockey in the Great Lakes Bay Region,” Garber said. “I don’t think anyone enjoyed seeing the arena filled with people more than Paul Wendler did.”

For his efforts in the building of the Saginaw Civic Center (now The Dow Event Center) and bringing hockey to Saginaw, he was honored by having the arena portion of the complex named after him in 1972.

Born March 8, 1917, in Grand Rapids, Wendler moved with his wife to Saginaw in June 1941 to work for Saginaw Steering Gear.

Wendler worked for 41 years at Steering Gear before retiring in April 1982. At the time of his retirement, he served as vice president of the National Wildlife Federation Endowment Foundation and was a member of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission. He also served as an adviser to former U.S. Secretary of the Interior James Watt.

Wendler was also a driving force behind the push to build The Dow Event Center, which was known as the Saginaw Civic Center when it opened in 1971.

It took some creative politicking to raise the money necessary to construct the civic center after an initial attempt to increase taxes for that purpose was voted down by city residents.

"The old Saginaw Auditorium had been condemned by the state, but we ignored that for a couple of years," Wendler said. "Then they came and said it had to come down. We put the Civic Center on the ballot, and it was turned down. Then we added a provision about paving the rest of the streets on the East Side — there were still quite a few dirt roads left — and it easily passed."

Shortly after the Civic Center’s opening, Saginaw attracted its first sports franchise, a minor league hockey team.

The Saginaw Gears of the International Hockey League called Wendler Arena their home from 1972 until 1983. Other hockey teams called Saginaw their home for various stints since that time, but none lasted long until Wendler partnered with Wren Blair, who owned Saginaw’s first hockey franchise, to bring an Ontario Hockey League franchise, the Saginaw Spirit, to town. Blair passed away earlier this year.

The process took more than a year to complete, Garber noted.

“Paul was the one who originally called me when the ballot proposal for the event center millage was developing,” he said. “He came with Wren to pay me a visit.”

Garber added that while Blair did “most of the talking” during that initial visit, the stage of hockey in Saginaw had been decades ago by Wendler’s work in getting the Civic Center built.

“Had that not been Paul’s vision, there would not have had the Spirit, the Gears, and all the teams in between,” he said.

While Wendler Arena may be the most visible part of his legacy, he also provided leadership and council to several organizations, said current Saginaw mayor Greg Branch.

“He always had words of encouragement and advice, mostly encouragement for me,” Branch said. “Paul’s one of those guys from a generation that took public service very seriously and recognized that public service meant a lot more than filling an office.

“That’s illustrated by his continued interest and service in the 40 years since he was mayor.”

Garber echoed similar sentiments regarding Wendler’s impact on the community.

“Saginaw lost one of the greatest leaders it has ever experienced,” he said.

He is survived by his wife of more than 71 years, Phoebe, two children, Paul O. and Anne, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter, Gretchen. Arrangements for his funeral are still being finalized.